Emmalou Kirchmeier Explores Challenges of Chaplains in THE SIGN OF THE FISH
By: Christina Mancuso Jun. 27, 2013
"The Sign of the Fish: A Chaplain's Territory in an Ecumenical World" (published by WestBow Press), the new book from Emmalou Kirchmeier, is written by eight chaplains. It gives readers an insider's look into the process through which chaplains are trained, including tips and advice on how to adapt that training to various venues, situations, cultures and religions.
Divided into three sections, "The Sign of the Fish" covers the ecumenical history of the chaplaincy from the American Revolution to present day. In the first section, Kirchmeier tells the stories of eight different chaplains as they work in hospitals, prisons, college campuses, retirement homes, the military, hospice and overseas. She emphasizes their clinical pastoral education and training.
The second section looks at staff and patient-family problems, including education deficiencies - with input from Dr. Helen Irlen - as well as personality and marriage problems. "Everyone is interested in how the family is treated away from home and how their spiritual care and development is handled if they are ill or confused," explains Kirchmeier. "They need to know chaplains can handle all faiths today."
The last section of "The Sign of the Fish" was written for those readers who might need a refresher course that deals with the history of Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The history of Armenia is written by a college professor, and the Jewish holidays are written by a registered nurse. The section in India includes an explanation of the Sikh faith, and a small history of the four ancient quarters of Jerusalem, as well as early Stone Age findings.
"There is no other book like 'The Sign of the Fish,'" says Kirchmeier.
"The Sign of the Fish"
By Emmalou Kirchmeier
Hardcover | 6 x 9in | 182 pages | ISBN 9781449783792
Softcover | 6 x 9in | 182 pages | ISBN 9781449783808
E-Book | 182 pages | ISBN 9781449783815
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Emmalou Kirchmeier was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1924. She spent 30 years working as a journalist, and she has 25 years of background in ministry. Kirchmeier is the mother of seven children. Writing has always been her passion, and she still teaches a class in creative writing at the South Manatee Library in Bradenton once a month.
WestBow Press is a strategic self-publishing alliance of Thomas Nelson, Inc., the world's largest Christian publisher, and Author Solutions, Inc. (ASI) - the world leader in the popular self-publishing industry segment. Through this partnership, authors benefit from the rich publishing heritage of Thomas Nelson and the speed-to-market advantages of the ASI self-publishing model. Titles published through WestBow Press are evaluated for sales potential and considered for publication under the Thomas Nelson imprint. Thomas Nelson, Inc. continues to "inspire the world" with distribution of products in more than 100 countries worldwide. For more information, or to start publishing today, visit http://www.westbowpress.com or call (866)-928-1240. Follow us @westbowpress on Twitter for the latest news.
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